Fiberizing apparatus



' PB`151946 L. A. HAWTHRNE ETAL-- l*2,393,707 f y i FIBERI Z ING APPARATUS Fi'lea Apri; 29. 1943 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 16, 1946 FIBERIZING APPARATUS Louis A. Hawthorne, Hillside, and Edward B. Powell, North Plainleld, N. I., assigner-s to Johns- Manville Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 29, 1943, Serial No. 485,0()8 3 claims. '(cl. :s3-91) Our present invention relates to the manufacture of mineral wool and the like and, more particularly, is directed to improved apparatus for converting the molten raw material into fibers.

. The term mineral wool is employed herein in a generic sense to include wool or fibers formed from rock, slag, glass mixtures thereof and like raw materials.

Conventlonally raw materials of the type referred to above have been converted into fibers by subjecting a stream of the material in a molten state to the disintegrating action of a high pressure steam ljet. to fiberize the material by impinglng the molten stream on a spinner or rotor rotated at high speed, which breaks the stream up into drops or masses which are thrown from the spinner by centrifugal force and drawn out into fiber or thread form. The principal object of the instant invention is the provision of an improved `ilberlzing apparatus of the latter type. I

Another object of the invention is the provision of such improved apparatus which is adapted to give an increased fiber yield.

A further object of the invention is the provision of centrifugal or spinner type apparatus, including a plurality of rotors or spinners acting upon the stream of molten material.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a iiberizlng device in which the molten material is distributed over the peripheral surfaces of a plurality of rotors, whereby the i'lberizing area is substantially increased.`

Our invention will be more fully understood and further objects and advantages thereof will become apparent when reference is made to the more detailed description thereof which is to follow, and to the accompanying drawing, in which;

Fig. l is a diagrammatic elevation View of an apparatus embodying the instant invention;

Fig. 2 is a front sectional view on an enlarged scale of the apparatus of Fig. 1, taken onthe line 2 2;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus of Fis. 2: and

Fig. a is a view similar to Fig. 3 depicting a modification of the invention.,

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown an apparatus comprising a melting furnace Ill of any suitable type. Furnace I may comprise a couple, tank furnace or the like, the particular means employed for melting the raw material not being critical in the instant invention. Furnace it includes a discharge orifice in communication with a trough I Z, whereby the raw material melted It has also been proposed l in the furnace is discharged in the form of a stream from the end of the trough. Iheraw material may be rock, slag, glass, mixtures thereof or other suitable raw materials employed in the manufacture of mineral wool and like fibrous products. 4

Below the discharge end of trough I2 there is supported a ilberlzing means, embodying our present invention. The flberizing means comprises a pair of rotors Il and I6 supported on shafts I8 and 20, respectively, for rotation in the directions as. indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2. Shafts I8 and 20 are driven in any suitable manner, as for example, by individual motors, one such motor being shown at 22 for shaft IB. Alternatively the shafts may be driven by a single prime mover connected with the shafts by suitable power transmission means, as will be readily understood.y

Rotors It and I6 are positioned to have their peripheral surfaces closely approach each other, as indicated at 2d. Preferably the gap or bight 2t between the rotors is adjustable and, for this purpose, the rotor supporting means may include an adjusting device of a suitable type. In the example shown, the adjusting and supporting means includes arm 26 and 28 pivoted at Sli to any fixed member such as an element of th supporting frame. Arms 26 and 28 include ears 32 and 3e having bearings' for received shafts I8 and 2t, respectively. Secured to arm 26 in such a position that it will not interfere with the operation of rotor ifi is a lug 36 having a threaded opening to receive a threaded portion 38 of a rod 60.. The other arm 28 includes a lug t2 opposite lug 3E, andprovided with a recessed seat it, loosely receiving the end of rod tu. The other end of rod Il@ isshaped to provide a crank t6.

As illustrated more particularly in Fig. 3, the peripheral surfaces of the rotors are provided with a plurality of contiguous annular grooves 48 providing means for receiving and temporarily retaining the molten material. Preferably the grooves are continued across the entire width of the peripheral surfaces of the drums.

In operation the berlzing apparatus is positioned to receive the stream of molten material from trough I2 adjacent the gap or bight 2d between the rotors although the point of impact may be spaced somewhat therefrom, as illustrated in Fig. 2. 'I'he width of the gap or bight 24 between the rotors is adjusted so that the molten material is spread out by the squeezing or wringing action of the rotors as it passes therebetween to become distributed substantially uniformly over by manipulation of crank arm 48, which, when turned in one direction, will cause movement of arms 28 and 28, and consequently of rotors i4 and I8. away from each other and, when turned in the opposite direction, will cause the rotors to move closerl together.

Rotors I4 and I6 are preferably driven at substantially the same speed in the directions indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2 to have high peripheral velocities. The stream of molten material striking the rotors is distributed over a substantial portion of their peripheral surfaces as it',

passes therebetween. Upon continued rotation of the rotors the molten material is thrown od the rotors by centrifugal force in the form of drops or small masses moving at a high velocity which are drawn out into ber or thread form as they travel through the air. The annular p grooves d8 serve to retain,

E substantial quantities oi may be employed, depending upon the widths of the rotors and other operating conditions.

In the event that particles or chunks in an unmelted state, such as pieces of coke or the like, are discharged with the molten material and reach the bight between rotors id and i8, the rotors are forced apart to allow the material to pass therebetween without injury to the apparatus, due to the manner in which the rotors are supported by arms 26 and 2d. That is, movement of the rotors away from each other is restrained solely by the horizontal component of the gravitational forces on the rotors which may be overcome by the pressure of the solid particle or chunk. When the pressure is removed the rotors swing back into adjusted position.

Referring now to Fig. 4, there is illustrated a somewhat modiiied form of the invention. In this instance the rotors 58 and 52, each of conical or frusto-conical shape, are so positioned that portions of their surfaces lie in closely adjacent relationship to define a bight therebetween, simi'- larly as in the case of the cylindrical rotors of the type previously described. The berizing action is performed in a similar manner to that described above. That is. the molten material is distributed over the surface areas of the rotors in rather thin layers from which particles or small masses are discharged, the particles or masses being drawn out into fibers as they move through the air athigh velocity.

Having thus described our invention in rather full detail, it will be understood that these details need not be strictly adhered to, but that various 2,898,707 the rotor surfaces. The adjustment is secured changes and modifications' will suggest themselves to one skilled in the art, all falling within the scope of the invention as deiined by the subjoined claims.

What we claim is:

1. An apparatus for converting a stream of molten material into a multiplicity of tine bers comprising a pair of rotatable drums of a character to withstand the heat of the molten stream and having surfaces including portions dening a bight therebetweenn of less width than the diameter of said stream to spread the molten material on said surfaces, means for positioning said drums to receive the molten material on said surfaces, annular grooves in said surfaces for retaining the molten material, and means to positively rotate each of said drums to cause said surfaces to travel in substantially the same directions at said bight and at substantially equal and sulciently high velocities to discharge the molten material therefrom in fibrous form.

2. 1n a mineral wool forming apparatus including means for discharging a stream of molten material and means for converting said stream into a multiplicity of fine fibers, said last-named means comprising a pair of rotating drums of a character to withstand the heat of the molten stream and supported on substantially horizontal axes, said drums including surfaces having portions in closely adjacent relationship to define a bight therebetween of less width than the diameter of said stream to spread said molten material on said surfaces, the supporting means for said drums being yieldable and adjustable to permit variations in said bight, said surfaces of said drums having annular grooves for containing said molten material, and means to positively rotate each of said drums to cause said surfaces to travel in substantially the same directions at said bight and at substantially equal and sufficiently high velocities to discharge the molten material therefrom in brous form.

3. .An apparatus for converting a stream oi molten material into a multiplicity of iine iibers comprising means for discharging a stream of molten material, a pair of frusto-conical rotors of a character to withstand the heat of the molten stream with the coned surfaces thereof lying in closely adjacent, substantially parallel relationship at a narrow bight therebetween, means for supporting said rotors on intersecting axes to receive said stream adjacent said bight, and means for rotating said rotors to have said adjacent surfaces traveling in substantially the same direction at said bight, and at a suiiiciently high speed to discharge the molten material therefrom in fibrous form.

LOUIS A. HAWTHORNE. EDWARD R. POWELL.

Patent No. 2,398,707. 'i

, l 5 eminem of 'common l 'April 16, 1946. LOUIS A. HAWTHORNE ET AL. f It is hereby certified that errors appear in the rinted s eccation of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: age 1, t column, line 39, for

"eleva "on read elevational; line 51', for couple read cupola; and second column,

' line 27, for arm read arms; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein' that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oce.

Signedv and sealed this 23rd dayof July, A. 1946.

LESLIE FRA-ZEE, l

First Assistant Commissioner of Patents.Y 

